Camping and woodcraft - Scoutmastercg.com

CHAPTER XVDRESSING AND KEEPING GAMEAND FISHButchering is the most distasteful part of ahunter's work—a job to be sublet when you can;but sometimes you can't.When an animal is shot, the first thing to do isto bleed it, unless the bullet itself has gone cleanthrough and left a large hole of exit through whichmuch blood has drained.Even birds and fish should be bled as soon assecured. The meat keeps better, and, in the caseof a bird, the feathers are more easily plucked.Speaking, now, of large game, do not drop yourgun and rush in on a dying beast to stick it, for itmight prove an ugly customer in its death struggle.First put a bullet through its heart or spine.To cut a deer's throat would ruin the head formounting. Twist its head to one side, with thethroat downhill, if possible, so that blood will notflow over the hide; then stick your knife in at thepoint of the breast, just in front of the sternumor breastbone, and work the point of the knife twoor three inches back and forth, close up to the backbone,so as to sever the great blood-vessels. Thenif you must hurry on, perhaps after another animal,toss some brush over the carcass, or hang a handkerchiefover it, to suggest a trap, and make a brushblaze here and there as you go along, to guide youback to the spot.If practicable, remove the entrails at once. Todo this, it is not necessary to hang the animal up.264